The present disclosure relates to an arm-positioning cushion or pillow for improving sleep performance and resting comfort of a person who generally sleeps prone or on their side.
Generally, the quality and quantity of sleep affects mental and physical health and feelings of well being. Many individuals prefer to sleep on their side (“side sleepers”) or in a side/prone position rather than in a complete prone or complete supine position. This side sleeper preference is primarily for comfort, although may also be preferred due to improved quality and quantity of sleep which may improve mental and physical health aspects such as obesity, impairment to sleep quality due to mild sleep apnea and/or snoring, habit, or illness among other reasons. Accordingly, there remains a desire to improve the quality and quantity of sleep a person may obtain. In particular there remains a continuing need to provide a sleeper improved and greater flexibility in slide sleeping positions while maintaining and/or improving support and comfort to help a sleeper maintain a sleep position such as by limiting or reducing compression of the sleeper's upper extremities.
Traditional pillows do not adequately provide for a sleeper's needs or comfort. When a sleeper's head, or head and pillow, rest on the arm and/or shoulder (especially after extended periods of recumbence) pain, dysesthesias and paresthesias frequently occur. This discomfort and annoyance due to these conditions may cause the side sleeper to change positions frequently, causing the sleeper to awaken, and thereby diminish the quality and quantity of sleep. Chronic restlessness and wakefulness may lead to sleep deprivation with subsequent diurnal fatigue, depression and other side effects.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,336 discloses a known embodiment of an ergonomic pillow. While the disclosure of the '336 patent represented an improvement in the state of the art at the time, there remains a continuing need to provide additional comfort devices and especially for an improved arm-positioning pillow or cushion for a side sleeper and those requiring versatility in their sleeping positions. There is a continuing need to provide greater utility when compared to conventional pillows.